Stack of racks of different sizes and adapter therefor



' April 21, 1953 T. SHAW STACK OF RACKS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND ADAPTER THEREFOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1950 w m m m jlbama's 5150mm;

BY flm%w{ mzv Afifoaneys' T. SHAW April 21, 1953 STACK OF RACKS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND ADAPTER THEREFOR 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1950 Patented Apr. 21, 1953 :STACK OF RACKS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND ADAPTER THEREFOR Thomas Shaw, Cranston, R. I., assignor to Stackbin Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Application February 24, 1950, Serial No. 146,087

other.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide astack of racks of graduated sizes so that racks of a smaller unit size may be superimposed upon racks of a larger unit size, the arrangement being such that a plurality ofracks of different sizes may be provided.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rack of graduated sizes by merely positioning adaptors between the racks of different sizes.

, .Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so that the racks of a smaller size will span the joint between unit racks of a larger size beneath them and serve to tie the superimposed stacks together against lateral separation due to some unevenness of the supporting surface.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as. will be more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 isv a perspective view of a stack of racks of graduated sizes with drawers or containers in the racks;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1; I, I

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the main adaptor;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the main adaptor lookingfrom the top! Figure 5 is a" perspective view of a supplementary adaptor for the rear portion of the rack:

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a stack of "racks of three different sizes showing adaptors ;tion' of the adaptor shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a different front adaptor utilized in the stack shown in Figure 6.

7 Claims. ((31. 211-71) In proceeding with this invention I have provided adaptors which may rest upon the crossbars of a rack and extend in a direction so as to provide a support for superimposing the small er rack units upon the larger rack units. The adaptor is in two parts, the front adaptor mounting on the front crossbar to provide a member to be gripped by the front portion of the superimposed unit and a rear adaptor which grips the rear crossbar and provides a holding means for the lower rear end of a smaller superimposed unit, this being usually necessary because the crossbars of the larger units are heavier and the smaller rack units ..will not fit with these heavier crossbars, thus requiring an adaptor mechanism in order that a good connection may be made.

With reference to the drawings, l0 designates one of the lower rack units, substantially in accordance with my Patent 2,046,095, dated June 30,- 1936, which are positioned side by side, there being three shown in Figure '1, and two shown in Figure 6, although the extent to which these may be placed side by side may be further expanded.

Each of these racks comprises an inverted U- shaped channel II at the front and I2 at the rear, which are connected together by a right,- angular member of sheet metal extending between the two legs l3 and H! of the inverted U i 2. The vertical portion of this right-angular member is designated I5, and the horizontal portion is designated [6. This vertical portion is bent at legs 13 and M to extend at right angles forwardly between the leg I3 of inverted U I2 and leg I! of inverted U H on one side, as desig nated at l8 and is bent and extends similarly on the opposite side as at l9 between the leg 14 of inverted U [2 and leg 2|] of inverted U H. The horizontal portion. [6 of this angle member is mitered and extends forwardly and ,inwardly from the portions [8 and I9 as at 2| and 22.

These forwardly extending portions are flanged downwardly as at 23 (Figs. 2 and 6) and 24 (Fig. 1), while. the horizontal portion I6 is flanged downwardly as at 25. The forward edges of the vertical portions 18 and I 9 arebent outwardly about the legs I! and 20 as at 2B and 21, while there. are flanges Zil and 29 along the portions 18 and E8 between the legs 13 and I1 and I14 and 2Q to further stiffen the structure and provide a supporting ledge. V

Extending laterally across between the lower ends of the inverted U H and welded thereto is a channel member 30 which has the ends of the horizontal portions 2| and 22 turned over and piece 49 of inverted channel form is welded to the end of the inverted U 42 and a cross piece 41 is of channel shape and is welded to the end of the legs of the inverted U 43. The bottom 31 is of a single piece of sheet material bent to provide sides 38 and 39, each flanged outwardly as at All and 45 so as to provide supporting ledges. The front and rear ends of the sides 38 and 39 are bent about the vertical legs of the inverted U shaped channels 42 and 43 as at M, while the back wall 45 is a separate piece of material extending across the legs of the inverted U and is welded to the bent over portions 44 which extend about the legs of the inverted U 43.

This wall L 5 extends downwardly beyond the ends of the inverted u shaped channel :33 with an inwardly extending flange 4 8 as may best be seen in Figure '2.

The racks, as can well be seen in my prior Patent 2,046,095, are intended to be superim-,

posed one upon the other with the bottom cross pieces fitting over the upper crossbars formed hy the inverted llv shaped channels. If, however, it is desired that a rack 36 of smaller size be positioned upon the rack ill of larger size,

there would be .no support for one end of the smaller rack, and in order to accommodate the smaller rack, I have provided an adaptor which may conveniently take the form of a forward section .and a rear section. The forward section which I designate generally 5!! is shown in perspective in Figure 4 and the rear section which I designate generally '63 is shown in Figure '5.

This adaptor section 50 comprises a deck 5| which is folded downwardly as at 52 at its forward edge and then inwardly as at 53 therefrom, providing a generally hook-shaped structure to hook over the forward crossbar formed by; the inverted channel 11 and rest upon the top of it. This deck 5! extends rearwardly whatever distance is necessary for supporting the smaller rack 35 and provides a cross member or support .at such inner end to receive the channel member 48 of the smaller frame rack 35.

This cross member is provided by turning upwardly the edge of the deck 5d as at 54 and providing an angle iron with a wall 55 parallel to this upturned edge 5 which may be secured to the deck and spaced from the flange 54 by the angle portion 55. In order to support this deck, two legs of angular form 5] are se. cured to the under surface of the deck by lips 58 and 59 bent at this upper end of the legs with the lower ends of the legs resting upon the ledges 23 and .28., as shown in Figure 1. Projections 59 are provided by striking down portions of the stock of the deck at such a location as to engage'the top-front crossbar of the rack and prevent forwardsliding of this section of the adaptor. Thus, the cross member 5! composed of the portions 54, 55, and 55 provides a rail to be received in the channel 45 of the upper rack 36.

Companion with the adaptor section for the front, I have provided an adaptor for the back,

as shown in perspective in Figure 5 at 83, which comprises a horizontal member 54 with an angular portion to extend downward with an inward flange 65 to hook under the rear crossbar of the inverted U l2 of rack l0. Superimposed upon this member 64 is a vertical wall 68 and .a horizontal lip 6.9 spaced from the member 84 so that the inner edge 48 of the rack 3i; may extend beneath this lip and be locked in position.

By positioning the superimposed rack so that it bridges the 'joint between two of the larger lower racks with their adaptors the upper rack serves to fr-ictionally tie these lower racks to- .gether against lateral separation.

The stack of racks shown in Figure 6 comprises a unit designated generally ill which is identical with the unit above described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, while superimposed uponthis unit l3 there is a rack unit, ll! which is a little smaller in depth than the 'unit ii! and is superimposed upon it; while superimposed upon the unit 19 there is a unit "H which is much smaller than the units in or 1!} and is more nearly the size of the unit 35. However, the units ll) and H are constructed substantially the same as with the unit IE3, except for proportions and size. The back adaptor sections which are designated '53 are located between the superimposed units It] and NJ, and is and H; however, a modification occurs in the adaptor sections shown at the front of the difierent unit sections of Figure 6.

The adaptor section 15 (Fig. 8) comprisesa deck l6 with its forward edge bent downwardly as at TI and then inwardly as at 18 to provide a hook-like arrangement identical with the adaptor 553 However, flanges 19 extend downwardly from the deck '15 and are cut away at their forward end at E9. The deck at the rear has a cross member 89 formed by bending the stock of the deck upwardly as at 8! and then rearwardly as at $2 to provide a width sufficient to snugly fit within the channel 3%" of the unit ll. Legs as extend at right angles to the deck E5 and are inwardly offset in a V at 84 and secured to the flanges l9 and portion 81 by spot welding as at 85. These legs rest upon the ledges 28, 29 of the rack Iii.

The adaptor section designated generally 86 is positioned. between theunits l0 and it! and com,- prises a deck 81 having its forward edge turned downwardly as at 88 and inward-1y at to provide a. hook shaped edge, while at the rear edge a cross member is formed by the stock being bent upwardly as at '96 and then rearwardly as at 9! of a width to be received in the channel iii of the rack ll). The deck 8! is of such short extent that it sufiiciently supports the rack I9- above it without need of a leg protruding down to the ledgezfiof the rack I!) for this purpose. I claim: l. A stack ofraeks for containers comprising a v plurality of open frame construction unit racks of one size in'side-by-side relation, each having upper set of front and back cross bars and a lower set of front and back cross bars and horizontal members connecting said lower set of cross bars, an adaptor section for each unit having a deck portion adapted to rest on the upper of the upper front cross bar and extending rearwardly beyond said upperfront cross bar ahdhaving the front portion thereof of hook shape to embrace said upper front cross bar and a cross member at the rear edge portion thereof supported thereby, and rack units of a smaller size superimposed on said cross member and upper back cross bar.

2. A stack of racks for containers as in claim 1 wherein the adaptor section is of sheet stock with its forward edge folded downwardly at right angles and then rearwardly to provide a flange to form the aforesaid front portion of hook shape, said flange being of a width less than the length of the upper front cross bar to engage therewith inwardly of the end portions thereof.

3. A stack of racks for containers as in claim 1 wherein said cross member is of a width from front to rear to receive a lower cross bar of the smaller rack unit.

4. A stack of racks for containers as in claim 1 further comprising a back adaptor section mounted on said upper back cross bar to be engaged by the superimposed smaller rack unit and having a hook-shaped portion embracing the .back cross bar.

5. A stack of racks for containers as in claim 1 further comprising a back adaptor section mounted on said upper back cross bar to be engaged by a superimposed smaller rack unit and having a hook-shaped portion embracing the said upper back cross bar and an overhanging lip portion to interlock with the said smaller rack unit.

6. A stack of racks for containers as in claim 1 wherein each smaller rack unit bridges the joint between two side-by-side rack units and their adaptors.

7. A stack of racks for containers as in claim 1 wherein a pair of legs extends downwardly from said adaptor and each resting on one of said side members to support the adaptor section.

THOMAS SHAW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 487,460 Wernicke Dec. 6, 1892 1,728,638 Straubel Sept. 17, 1929 1,849,659 Burks Mar. 15, 1932 2,046,095 Shaw June 30, 1936 2,108,122 Hall Feb. 15, 1938 2,323,957 Zalkind July 13, 1943 2,506,844 Smith May 9, 1950 

